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Sermon #4074

The Mystery of Christ

A Sermon on Ephesians 3:2-7

Originally preached Oct. 21, 1956

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Scripture

Ephesians 3:2-7 ESV KJV
assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not …

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Sermon Description

What is the mystery of Christ? Why did God wait so long for Him to be revealed? In this sermon on Ephesians 3:2–7 titled “The Mystery of Christ,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores the importance and uniqueness of the apostles and the glorious message not revealed until the New Testament. The mystery of the gospel has been revealed and can now be understood. It is not the vague feelings found in mysticism but the one true gospel. Through the recounting of Paul’s imprisonment to the Ephesians, Paul encourages them to stay strong in the faith. That the mystery that has been revealed is true, marvelous, and worth believing above all else. It is worth the imprisonment that Paul is joyfully enduring. They needn’t worry about present circumstances and his imprisonment but should rather glory in their salvation and in the gospel. God’s plan of salvation is a wondrous thing and worth contemplating. No one’s intelligence could ever unravel this wondrous mystery. Dr. Lloyd-Jones soberly reminds the listener that they must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit in order to understand.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle Paul is writing to the Ephesians from prison.
  2. He knows the Ephesians are troubled by his imprisonment.
  3. Paul wants to reassure the Ephesians and help them understand his role as an apostle.
  4. Paul says he has been given a "dispensation of the grace of God" to preach to the Gentiles.
  5. Paul says he received the message of grace directly by revelation from Jesus Christ.
  6. Paul says God has revealed the "mystery" of the gospel to him and the other apostles.
  7. The "mystery" refers to a truth that can only be known through God's revelation. It is not vague or indefinite.
  8. Paul says he and the other apostles have been made "stewards" of the mystery of the gospel. They are responsible for imparting it to others.
  9. There can be no successors to the apostles. The apostles received direct revelation from Jesus and passed on the authoritative message of the gospel.
  10. Christians today are dependent on the Scriptures alone for the message of salvation. We can add nothing to or take nothing away from the apostles' teaching.

The Book of Ephesians

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.